When the debate over the carrying of concealed weapons raged in Kansas, critics warned that violence would ensue and that more children would die in accidental shootings because of ready access to handguns carried by a parent.

According to state authorities, neither has happened.

Since January 2007, more than 15,000 Kansans have become concealed carry permit holders, and, according to the Attorney General’s Office, not a single one has committed a crime using a handgun.

“I’m not aware of any incidents in which a concealed carry permit holder used a handgun in the commission of a crime,” said Chuck Sexson, director of the Attorney General’s Concealed Carry Unit.

Sexson said there have been suspensions and revocations of permits – 23 as of August  – but most related to permit holders who became the subject of temporary or permanent restraining orders.

Sexson also indicated that some individuals had been cited for carrying concealed weapons into venues that prohibit them. Local authorities handle those misdemeanor cases, he said.

The absence of incidents "doesn’t surprise me,” Sexson said. “You have to go through pretty extensive training and they become pretty well-versed on the rules and on the results if they misuse a handgun.”

No official figures are available on the number of accidental shootings involving children are available. But, Angela Nordhus, executive director of the Kansas State Child Death Review Board, said she hadn’t detected any up-tick.

“Based on a quick review of reports submitted to us by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, it doesn’t appear there has been an increase with regard to accidental shootings of children,” she said.

Kevin Graham, an assistant attorney general who serves as chair of the Child Death Review Board, concurred.

“I haven’t seen anything to suggest there’s been any increase in the number of firearms deaths involving children,” Graham said.

Sexson said demand for concealed carry permits peaked right after the law went into effect.

“We were getting well over 1,000 a month for the first few months, but it’s dropped off since,” he said. Only 366 permits were issued in July.

Kansas’ concealed carry law was finally passed in 2006, and legislators successfully mounted an override of a veto by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the first successful veto override of a Kansas governor in more than a decade.

Sebelius also vetoed a concealed carry bill in 2004, and Gov. Bill Graves vetoed concealed carry legislation twice during his eight-year term. Kansas is the 47th state that has some version of a concealed carry law.

Currently, the county with the most concealed carry permits issued is Sedgwick, with 2,997. Other counties with a relatively large number of permit holders (as of Aug. 12) include:

• Johnson County, 2677
• Shawnee County, 1116
• Wyandotte County, 726
• Leavenworth County, 709
• Douglas County, 386
• Reno County, 266

Information on the concealed carry law, on-line application forms and other information related to concealed carry is available at the website of the Kansas Attorney General’s office: http://www.ksag.org/content/page/id/90

The Week in Review